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River Tyne, England
Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Photography © Graeme Peacock
Photographer
Beauty and innovation are unified in
this graceful bridge
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"As
an act of kinetics, it's quite extraordinary;
and as a thing sitting in place, it's absolutely
beautiful."
—Jon Jerde,
FAIA, Chairman, The Jerde Partnership
Architect
Wilkinson Eyre Architects www.wilkinsoneyre.com
Client
Gateshead Council www.gateshead.gov.uk
Key
Player(s)
Gilford and Partners Consulting Engineers (engineers);
Kvaerner Markham (mechanical, electrical, and
hydraulic); Harbour & General/Volker Stevin (general
contractor)
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Program:
Through an international competition, an architect/engineer
team was chosen with the specific intent of making a bridge
that would attract worldwide attention. The city of Gateshead,
England, sought an enduring image to regenerate the area,
attract local support and media coverage, and embody something
unique and innovative to raise its profile on the international
stage. The solution needed to fulfill the complex functional,
operational, contextual, and visionary aspirations of the
client, who was driven by the need to succeed over competing
projects for essential and limited national funding.
Solution:
Linking Newcastle with Gateshead
over the River Tyne, this bridge provides a footpath and cycle
way joining ambitious new arts and cultural developments on
the south bank of the Tyne, called Gateshead Quays. Gateshead
Millennium is the world's first rotating bridge and has generated
worldwide interest because of its unique design. It has also
received significant media coverage and was noted as one of
the innovations of the year in Time Magazine. Local pride
and continued international interest have caused the client
to state that the bridge has unequivocally fulfilled and even
surpassed each of its established objectives. But the ultimate
measure of appreciation is that thousands of people cross
the bridge each week despite the present lack of any obviously
compelling destination on the other side.
For more images please see the November
2002 issue or Architectural Record.
The Winners: Abercrombie
& Fitch | Allsteel
| Cellular Operations
| Gateshead
Millenium Bridge | Multi-Use
Centre | Paul
Brown Stadium | Texas
Children's Hospital | Toys
"R" Us | Trumpf
Customer & Technology Center | Univ.
of Penn. Dept. of Facilities and Real Estate | Valeo
Electrical Systems
The Finalists:
Arcs
de Seine | Boeing\
Leadership Center | Gasometer
B | Hansen
Construction Office | ING
Direct | KeySpan
Park Stadium | Matha
Stewart Living
Unbuilt Projects:
BMW Event and
Delivery Center | Hollister
Headquarters
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